Latch structure



April 30, 1957 A. VANDERVELD LATCH STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I An/hqn y l anoerve/o April 30, 1957 A. VANDERV ELD LATCH STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1956 I INVENTOR. An/hony l anoerve/o nited States Patent C) LATCH STRUCTURE Anthony Vanderveld, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,599

7 Claims. (Cl. 292341.17)

The present invention relates to a novel, very useful, practical, and simple latch structure designed primarily for use in conjunction with the releasable holding of refrigerator doors in closed position. The latch structure is one in which the release is readily obtained by an outward pull of a predetermined amount upon the door or by pushing against the inside of the door so that if children should be trapped inside the refrigerator they can escape by pushing with a force which they are able to exert against the inside of the door.

Moreover, with my invention any sag of the door which may occur has its detrimental results automatically eliminated and obviated by reason of the novel structure which I have made. When the door is opened the latch structure is held in a position such that the closure of the door takes place without the necessity of a force applied to the door to overcome the normal force of the spring used, the latch however being automatically released from such position to engage the strike or keeper and coact therewith to hold the door snugly in a closed sealing position.

All of these instrumentalities are provided in a simple, economically constructed device which is of a sturdy and durable structure, wear against parts which normally occurs being eliminated so that the latch has a long lifetime of service normally exceeding the lifetime of the refrigerator to which it is applied.

My invention for attaining the objects, purposes and results stated may be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with the door closed to which my invention is applicable.

Fig. 2 is a much enlarged fragmentary horizontal section substantially on the plane of line 22 looking downwardly.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation substantially on the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to that shown in Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts when disengagement of the latch and its strike or keeper has taken place.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in Fig. 4 at its outer end, showing the position of the parts as the door is approaching closed position and the keeper or strike carried thereby has first engaged with the latch.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a further step in the completion of the closing movement immediately prior to the keeper reaching position shown in Fig. 3 and showing the automatic operation of the release of the latch for engagement with the keeper.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the latch structure, the view being taken substantially at the plane of line 77 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the holding means which Patented Apr. 30, 1957 is used which automatically holds the latch in inoperative position when the door is opened, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the latch lever.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

A refrigerator 1 with its conventional hinged door 2 shown in Fig. 3 has the door supplied with a handle 3 permanently secured thereto and which, grasped at the outer side of the door is pulled upon to open the door with the latch structure which I have invented.

Adjacent the free vertical edge portion of the door 2 and within it is a supporting bracket 4 of Z-form having a flange 4a against the inner side of the outer side of the door 2 with which one end of the handle 3 may be screw connected to partially secure the handle and the bracket to the door. The flange 4!) at the inner side of the web or bracket 4 extends outwardly and is turned to provide a terminal lip and is screw connected with the door, a cushioning gasket 5 preferably being carried by the door so that when the door is closed the gasket is against the refrigerator casing 1 all around the door to provide a seal against refrigerated air escaping.

The keeper or strike 6 which connects with the latch mechanism is pivotally mounted at one end on said bracket on a headed and shouldered pivot bolt 7 (Fig. 2) between the head of which and the adjacent end of the keeper 6 a yieldable spring washer 7a is located so that the keeper will normally stay in any position to which it is turned. Such keeper has a limited turning movement between upper and lower stop pins 8 mounted on the web of the bracket 4, one above the upper edge and the other below the lower edge of the keeper 6 (Fig. 3). The keeper extends horizontally to the rear through an opening which passes it at the inner side of the door so that it may extend into the latch structure which is carried by the casing 1.

The keeper or strike 6 at its upper edge and between its ends has a recess 9 therein with inclined sides converging in a downward direction. The rear or inner side 10 of the keeper is at an angle to the vertical as best shown in Fig. 4 while the inner end of said keeper 6 is rounded to provide a cam edge as at 11 at its upper side.

In the structure of the latch mechanism with which such keeper cooperates, a housing is provided made from flat metal having a vertical side or back 12 of rectangular form from the upper and lower edges of which horizontal flanges 13 and 14 are turned at right angles. Each of said flanges at its outer or front end is extended to provide a vertically positioned ear 15, one extending upwardly from the flange 13 and the other downwardly from the flange 14 for attachment to the door. From the lower flange or side 14 of the housing, at its outer edge and near its front end, an ear 16 is turned upwardly at right angles which is parallel to the back 12. From the inner or rear end of the back 12 a rear end 17 for the housing of less height than the back 12, is turned at right angles extending beyond the free edge of the lower flange 14. The upper edge of the rear end 17 is notched with spaced notches 18, the upper edge of the part 17 being located below the upper flange 13 (Fig. 8). The lower free edge corner of the inner housing end 17 has a downward projection 19 which is interlocked with the flange 14- as shown in Fig. 8.

The latch lever (Fig. 10) is made from a plate of flat metal provided at its inner portion with a web 20 from the opposite longitudinal edges of which flanges 21 paralleling each other extend upwardly. Each of said flanges 21 at their upper corner portions are extended in hooks 22 which are received in the slots 18 "at the inner end of the housing providing a pivotal mount for the lever on the inner end 17 of the housing. The flanges or sides 21 of the latch lever are bent inwardly toward each other at their outer portions, as at 21a, and thence extended outwardly in parallel spaced arms 23 between which a roller 24, preferably of nylon, is rotatably mounted on a 'rod or shaft 25. Such rod or shaft 25 has a press fit with the arms 23 where it passes therethrough and at each end extends a distance outwardly beyond the adjacent outer sides of said arm. The roller 24 turns freely upon shaft 25 which is securely held by reason of such press or drive connection of the rod with the parts 23.

Back of the inset sections 21a tongues 26 are cut from the upper edge portions of the sides 21 of the latch lever, forming with the parts 21 a holder and guide for a coiled compression spring 27, the lower end of which bears against the web 29 and the upper end against the upper side 13 of the housing. Such spring tends to turn the latch lever to the dot and dash line position in Fig. 4 until the lower inner corner portions of the lever comes against the rear or back 17 of the housing.

A latch retaining holder is pivotally mounted between the ears 16 and back 12 of the housing. Such holder has two spaced lower sections 28 which are turned at right angles from a transverse integral connecting web portion 29 (Pig. 7), while above the upper edge of the connecting portion 29 the sides 28 are extended upwardly in spaced arms 30. From the upper edge of the connecting portion 29 an integral section 31 extends rearwardly and upwardly at an angle to the horizontal for a distance and terminates in a downwardly turned lip 32 of lesser width than the section 31. A light strength coiled compression spring 33 has its lower end bearing against the lower side 14 of the latch housing while the lip 32 telescopes into the end of the spring, the tendency of the spring being to turn the trigger (Fig. 4) in a counter-clockwise direction.

A roller 34-, also preferably of nylon material, is located between the lower sections 28 described having a rotative mounting upon a pin 35 extending therethrough and through such parts 28. Such pin 35 at its ends passes through the back 12 of the housing and the ear 16 (Fig. 7) and may be headed over at each end to secure it in place. The roller 24 is located substantially directly over the roller 34 and is spaced therefrom a minimum distance when the latch lever is in the lower dash and dot line position shown in Fig. 4 and at a maximum distance when in the position shown in full lines. It is held in such latter position by the arms 30 of the holder therefor which, moved outwardly by the spring 33, come at their upper ends under the projecting end portions of the rod 25.

When the door is opened the position of the latch parts normally will be that shown in Fig. 4 with the latch lever roller 24 at its upper position having the shaft 25 on which mounted pressing against the upper ends of the arms 30 under the force of the spring 27. The lever holder is limited in its counter-clockwise movement by the lower corner of the sections 28 coming against the lower side 14 of the housing as in Fig. 4.

On closing the door the strike or keeper 6 moving from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. first has the cam edge 11 engage the roller 24 so as to lift rod 25 a short distance above the upper ends of the arms 36. This is followed next by engagement of the lower side of the keeper 6 with the section 31 which, inclined upwardly and rearwardly, will be ridden over by the strike or keeper tm'ning the holder clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 6 so that upon completion of the door closing the latch lever is free to enter the recess 9, roller 24 riding against the inclined inner edge of such recess and exerting inward pulling force upon the door which will pull the gasket 5 into snugly closed sealing position. During such movement of the latch holder from its position in Figs. 4 and 5 to, that shown in Fig. 3 no contact occurs between the upper ends of the arms 30 and the rod 25 thereby obviating any wear or friction which might otherwise occur.

To open the door the handle 3 is merely grasped and an outward pull exerted thereon. The inclination of the edge 10 of recess 9 engaging with the roller 24 will cause the latch lever to 'be lifted against the force of spring 27 and as the keeper or strike moves outwardly away from the section 31 against which it has been pressing, the latch holder will be turned counter-clockwise by spring 33 and moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 so that upon completion of the outward movement of strike 6 the end portions of rod 25 will come against the holding arms 30.

If for any reason, accidental or otherwise, the latch holder should be rendered ineffective and not move to its normal position in Fig. 4 when the door is opened with the latch lever occupying the dot and dash position shown in such figure, the cam edge 11 at the inner end of the keeper or strike 6 will ride against the roller 24 and elevate it and the latch end of the arm 23 until the roller reaches the recess at 9.-

The structure described has been made and very thoroughly and extensively tested and has proved exceptionally satisfactory in all respects.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of struc ture coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. Latch structure comprising, a housing having a vertical rectangular back, upper and lower sides horizontally extending in the same direction from said back, and a vertical inner end extending from said back in the same direction as said upper and lower sides, the outer end of said housing and the sides opposite said back being open, a generally horizontal latch lever pivotally mounted at one end on said inner end of the housing extending therefrom toward the open outer end of said housing, spring means between the lever and upper side of said housing normally moving the free outer end of said lever downward, a lever engaging member pivotally mounted at its lower portion on said housing extending upwardly under the free end of said lever, means at the free end of said lever adapted to rest on said lever engaging member to hold the lever in upper position, spring means associated with said lever engaging member to normally turn it to a position to engage with said lever carried means, and means on said lever engaging means adapted to be pressed upon by a keeper to move said lever engaging member to an inoperative position free from said lever carried means.

2. Latch structure comprising, a horizontal housing open at its outer end, a latch lever pivotally mounted on the inner end of said housing and extending horizontally therefrom toward the open outer end of said housing, said leverhaving spaced arms at its outer end portion, a roller between said arms, a rod fixed to said arms extending lengthwise of the roller, the end portions of said rod extending outwardly away from said arms, spring means acting on said lever to move said roller in a downward direction, holding means pivotally mounted on said housing below the roller, said holding means having two spaced generally vertical arms, the upper ends of which may pass under the ends of said rod, spring means acting on said holding means to normally turn said holding means to bring the arms thereof under the ends of said rod, and means on said holding means adapted to be engaged by a cooperating latch strike to move the hold ing means to release the latch lever therefrom.

3. Structure as defined in claim 2 characterized in that a' roller is positioned between the two spaced vertical arms of the holding means, the roller being positioned below the upper ends of the arms.

4. Structure as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the holding means includes a rearwardly and downward- 1y extending projection upon which the spring means acting on the holding means is mounted.

5. Latch structure comprising a horizontal housing having a vertical back, upper and lower horizontal sides and a vertical inner end, the upper edge of which is located below said upper side, a latch lever having two spaced vertical sides and a horizontal web integrally connecting said sides at their lower edges, hooks, one at the upper inner corner of each side engaged over the upper edge of the inner end of said housing to form a pivotal mounting for the latch lever, a horizontal roller mounted between the outer ends of said sides, a compression spring between the upper side of said housing and the web of said lever, said web, at its inner end being adapted to engage the vertical inner end of the housing to limit the downward movement of said lever on its pivotal mounting.

6. Structure as defined in claim 5, and a second horizontal-roller mounted on said housing at a predetermined distance below the first roller when said first roller is in its lowermost position to support and guide a striker member associated therewith.

7. A latch structure comprising a housing including a back, upper and lower sides horizontally extending in the same direction from the back, and a vertical inner end extending from the back in the same direction as said upper and lower sides, the outer ends of said housing and the sides opposite said back being open, a latch lever pivotally mounted at one end on said inner end of said housing and extending therefrom towards the open end of said housing, spring means between the lever and upper side of said housing normally moving the free outer end of said lever downwardly, a roller member mounted at the outer end of said latch lever, a lever engaging member pivotally mounted at its lower portion on said housing and having a portion extending upwardly under the free end of said latch lever to limit the downward movement of the latter under the action of said spring means, said lever engaging member including an inwardly offset depending portion, spring means associated with said lever engaging member mounted on said depending portion and engaging the lower side of said housing to normally turn said lever engaging member to lever supporting position, a roller carried by said lever engaging member having its axis generally parallel with the roller mounted at the free end of said latch lever, said last-named roller being positioned below the upper end of said lever engaging member, and means on said lever engaging means adapted to be pressed by a keeper to move the same out of engagement with the latch lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,687,911 Burke Aug. 31, 1954 2,722,446 Evans Nov. 1, 1955 2,764,874 Sharpe Oct. 2, 1956 

